Process and apparatus for rolling plate glass



March 5, 192% L. s owERs PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING PLATE GLASS Filed Jan. 29, 1.927

2 SheetsSheet 1 INYENTOR March 5, 1929. SHOWERS PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING PLATE GLASS Filed Jan. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENT OR Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

uurreo STATESPATENT orrlcs.

LEE SHOWERS, 0F CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To PITTSBURGH PLATE eLAsseoMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR RQLLING PLATE GLASS.

Application filed. January 29, 1927. Serial" N'o. 184,482.

flow somewhat unevenly'through the pass be.

tween the rolls, and the edges formed, due to the chilling eifect of the triangular metal confining means (sometimes called guns) at the ends of the body of glass, are often very rough. Further, the chilled edge portions of the sheet, which must be trimmed otf, often extend inward several inches, thus involving a considerable loss in production. The pres ent invention is designed to Overcome the difficulties above set forth and to provide means (1) for holding back the body of glass in the pocket between the rolls, so that it flows downuniformly-and evenl through the pass between the rolls; and or securingedges upon the Sheet which are less rough than those heretofore secured and in which the chilled portions requiring trimming extend back a less distance into the sheet. A further result secured by the improvement is the speeding up of the operation, incident to the use of the re movable plates which lie in front of the closure members at the ends of the pocket carrying the body of molten glass, this expedient permitting the casting operat ons to follow each other in quick succession. Certain embodiment of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where,-

Figure 1 is a partial vertical sectidn through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a partial plan v ew. ,Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is another section 1 suitable adjustable by means of the pivoted screws 5 on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale. And Figs. 5 and 6 are details showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is an annular castin or rolling member supported upon a pair 0 driven rolls 2, 2, and 3 is a sizing roll, preferabl water cooled and supported in a ramework 4. This framework 1s for swinging the brackets 6 up and down and so regulatingv the distance between the roll 3 and the rolling member 1. The apparatus as just described is shown only in adiagrammatic way and re uires no further explana tion in View of the tall disclosure in my patent heretofore referred to, it being understood that the rolls 2, 2 are driven and so drive the rolling member 1, and that the sizing roll 3 is-driven in any suitable manner.

The pocket or recess between the rolling members is .adaptedto receive a pot-of glass and this pocket is closed at its ends by means of the cast steel retaining members, 7, 7 secured together at their rear ,ends by a cross .tie 8 which is in the form of a commercial angle rests upon the surface of the member 1. The members 7 7 also rest upon the surface of the member 1 and engage the periphery of the roll 3 at their forward ends. Removably carried by the closure members? 7 are a pair of steel plates 8, 8 each provided with a pair of brackets 9, 9, each extending over the upper edges ofthe members 7, 7 and fitting removably into vertical recesses 9*, 9 in the members, as indicated in Fig... 3. These brackets are bent so as to form eyes 10, 10 at their upper edges so that they may be engaged by a suitable hook for positioning the plates and for removing them. As shown, the plates are provided with the inwardly projecting spikes 11. If the plates are made in the'form of castings, these spikes are integral with the plates, but if the plates are formed from rolled sheets, the spikes will be made separately and fitted through perforations in'the plate.

The plates are so proportioned that, when hung position, as indicated in Fig. 1, the lower curved edges 12 of the plates are spaced away a short distance from the periphery of the rolling member 1. This distance is greatest atthe point 13 (Fig. 1) and gradually decreases until the rear ends of the plates are reached, at which point the plates touch the periphery of the roll.

'. In operation, the plates 8, 8 are prelimi narily heated to a red heat in a separate furnace and then positioned, as Shown in Figs.

1 and 2 by means of suitable transfer devices which engage the hooks 1Q, 10. As soon as these plates are positioned, a pot of glass is cast intothe pocket between the rolls 1 and 3, such rolls being driven at such time in the direction indicated by the arrows. The body of glass A in the pocket immediately adheres to the spiked inner Surfaces of the hot lates 8, 8, the use of the plates in pre-heate conplates 8, 8 serves to hold back the body of glass at its side edges and experience has shown that under such conditions, the feed of glass" between the rolls in much more uniform and steady than if there is no attachment of the glass to the metal closure members at the ends of the pocket. body of glass is continued until such. glass is entirely exhausted. In order to prepare the rolls for new casting operation, the plates 8, 8 are removed and a new setof preheated plates brought from the 'furnaceand positioned upon the members 7, 7 as heretofore described so that a new pot of glass may be cast immediately. The ,plates'S, 8 afterremoval from the members 7, 7 may be allowed to cool, after which the cold glass may be readily cracked off, or the plates may be thrust into a bath of .water and cooled quickly to cause the glass to crack away. The plates may then be reheated in the furnace preliminarily to further use. The use of removable plates 8, 8 not only serves to improve the rolling operation for the reason heretofore set forth, but also adds to the convenience and speed of operation of the apparatus, since there is ,very little delay between casting op erations, such as would occur if. the glass came directly in contact with the members 7, 7 and adhered thereto, thus requiring the expenditure of considerable time after each operation'in cleaning the members.

The provision of the spaces between the lower edges 12 of the plates 8, 8 and the periphery of the rolling member 1 has been found to improve the edges formed upon'the glass sheet, the chilled edges being smoother and calling for less width in trimming than when the spaces beneath the edges 12 are not rovided. This is apparently due to the fact that the glass which forms the edges of the sheet flows out into the spaces beneath the edges 12 and is chilled by direct contact with the members 7, 7 so that these edges 'do not adhere either to the members 7, 7 or the lates -8, 8 and are consequently smoother and etter formed than if they had adhered to a metal body and been pulled loose therefrom.

Fi s. 5 and6 illustrate a-lnodlfication in whic removable plates 14 take the place of These tion is in other respects similar to that of Fig. 1. The plates 14 differ from the plates 8 The rolling operation of the in that the spikes 11 of the first construction are omitted and in place thereof, the plates are provided with the perforations 16. These perforations preferably taperinward, as in-' dicated in Fig. 6, and when the body of glass without replacement or. repair, which is not the case with the platesof the Fi 1 con struction, wherein the spikes are oxidized and broken away more or less in the course of time.

of iron remaining in the cold glass, which becomes cu'llet, is incorporated into I the new glass when remelted and tends to discolorit somewhat. This disadvantage dosnot obtain in the case of the construction of Figs. 5 andti, wherein there are no projecting parts to break away. In both forms of construction, the old glass-is readily removed fro the plates when they are cooled.

While the process is preferably practiced by the use of the removable plates imposed over the closures 7, 7, it is quite'possible to dispense with the plates, and allow the glass to come directly in contact with the members 7, 7, which would exercise the same holding effect upon the body of glass, if preheated and provided with spikes or recesses,

.so that in its broadest aspect the process is This breaking away of] the spikes has thefurther disadvantage that the particles sure members fitting between the/rolls and 1 constituting the ends of thepockets and re-' movable sheet metal plates fitting the inner faces of said closure members i 2. The combination with a pair of opposing horizontal rolling members, having a pocket therebetween for receiving a body of molten glass to be rolled into a sheet, of closuremembers fitting between the rolls and constituting the ends of the pockets and removable sheet metal plates fitting the inner faces of said closure members, and provided overtheir inner faces with recesses for in creasing the holding effect of the plates upon the-glass. L I

3. The combination with apair of opposing horizontal rolling members, having a pocket therebetween for receiving a body of molten glass to be rolled into a sheet, of closure members fitting between the rolls and constituting the ends of the pockets and removable preheated sheet metal plates lying on the inner sides of said closure members.

4. The combination with a pair of opposing horizontal ,rolling members, having a pocket therebetween for receiving a body of molten glass to be rolled into a sheet, of members at the ends of the pockets comprising sheet metal plates for engaging the glass and adapted to adhere thereto when heated, and means for supporting the plates removably in position.

5. The combination with apair of opposing horizontal rolling members, having a pocket therebetween for receiving a body of molten glass to be rolled into a sheet, of closure members fitting between the rolls and constituting the ends of the pockets and re movable sheet metal plates fitting the inner faces of said closure members, the lower edges of said lates being spaced above the'periphcry of t tance.

of said plates bein ery of the lower rolling member a slight is-' e lower rolling member a slight dis- I 6. The combination with a pair of opposing horizontal rolling members having a pocket therebetween. for receiving a'body of molten glass to be rolled into a sheet, of closure members fitting between the rolls and constituting the ends of the pockets and removable sheet metal plates fitting the inner faces of said closure members, the lower edges spaced above the peri htanc'e at their forward ends, and gradually Izgpproaching sald periphery from such point ack.

7. The process of rolling glass sheets between a pair of rolling members, which consists in providing removable end closures for the casting pocket between said members, pouring a body of molten glass into'the pocket, causing it to adhere to said closures, rolling said body into a sheet, and after such operation removing said closures and repeating said operations.

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub-' scribed my name this 3rd day of January,

LEE SHOWERS. 

